2 28 VETERINARY HOMCEOPATHY, 



smart active work alternating with a period of rest; the attack 

 comes on -with great suddenness and severity, and an animal 

 which one hour was to all appearance in the very bloom of health 

 is in the next a pitiably helpless object. The first indication of 

 the malady is usually inability to proceed by reason of muscular 

 spasms affecting the loins and thighs, a loss of control over the 

 movements of the hind legs; breaking out into a profuse sweat, 

 and trembling all over; the posterior extremities soon become 

 unable to support the weight of the body and the animal rolls 

 over on its side, often struggling violently when down with a very 

 obvious desire to regain the standing position; ultimately the 

 horse wearies of these futile efforts and gives himself up to the 

 necessity of the case and thereafter shows a firm determination to 

 lie down quietly. 



Very shortly spasmodic twitchings of the large muscles of the 

 loins and thighs supervene, ultimately these same muscles become 

 rounded, hard and rigid, and seem to have lost all power of con- 

 traction. 



It is, as a rule, necessary to draw off the urine with the catheter 

 and then the character of the secretion is observed to be of a deep 

 coffee color, somewhat more dense in consistency than normal 

 urine. The pulse is increased in frequency generally to about 65 

 or 70 beats per minute, while the temperature will register 102 

 degrees or thereabouts; the respirations will be regulated very much 

 by the state of calm or irritability the animal has exhibited when 

 the attack first declared itself. In case the horse renews the strug- 

 gle to get on to its legs, it is best to apply the slings and get it 

 properly fixed up therein, otherwise it may speedily exhaust itself. 



Mares are considered by some to be more frequently the sub- 

 jects of this malady than male horses, but this is undoubtedly a 

 mistake, for all our cases have been in geldings, and Professor 

 Robertson's experience seems to coincide with our own in this 

 respect in the main. 



There is one very troublesome complication or sequel to the 

 disease within our experience that does not appear, so far as 

 records go, to have fallen to the lot of other practitioners, namely, 

 LAMiNiTis, or inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the feet, 

 those of the forelegs in particular, and in one case notwithstand- 

 ing the most careful treatment this condition proceeded to ex- 



